Liberty in Laundry Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. OGLES. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my bill, the Liberty in Laundry Act, which defends the American people against rogue and out- of-touch D.C. bureaucrats.

There might only be 41 days remaining in the current administration, but this administration is still doing its best to make household appliances unaffordable. If he wanted to limit consumer choice, undercut quality, and raise costs for Americans, then Joe Biden couldn't have done a better job.

First it was gas stoves, then it was water heaters and HVAC. Go down the list. Now the Biden-Harris administration is going after your washing machines.

When the government tries to micromanage something as basic as your laundry routine, including which washing machines you can buy and how much you will pay for them, my Republican colleagues and I will take a stand.

The Biden Energy Department doesn't even believe in the value of its own rulemaking. As the chairman said, $9 over the lifespan of this device. The upfront cost of the machine is outweighed by this so-called savings.

They are imposing energy standards that often mean higher costs on the appliances themselves, longer wash cycles, and perhaps even using more water. The American people pay more for their appliances upfront because of these efficiency standards.

Worse, the Biden administration repealed better efficiency rules implemented by the Trump administration with the Fifth Circuit ruling earlier this year that DOE's repeal of President Trump's efficiency rules were arbitrary and capricious.

The court found that the Biden administration failed to consider--now keep in mind, this is the court--failed to consider things like appliance performance and the fact that the standards were causing Americans to use more water, not less.

Some Democrats may want to race down the world to serfdom, replacing the judgments of consumers with those of government commissars about what products best meet their needs. However, I will not allow them to drag millions of hardworking Americans, like in the rural parts of my district, who are going to go to their appliance store and pay more.

My bill prohibits the Department of Energy from imposing or enforcing standards that would increase net costs to consumers. My bill requires them to include costs related to purchase, installation, maintenance, and replacement cost, forcing them to be honest about the true cost of the rule or the regulation.

My bill safeguards the right of families to choose the appliance that best fits their needs and budget, again, without the burden of the Biden administration.

Of course, we won't stop with laundry. We will continue pursuing legislation to stop bureaucrats wherever they choose to make life harder for hardworking Americans.

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of my legislation.

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